Machine for removing dirt from streets.



N0. 659,440. Patented oct. 9, 1900.

- H. s. FAnuuHAn.

MCHINE FOR REMOVING DIRT FROM STREETS.

(pplieaeion med .my 11, 1900.; (no Modal.)

UNrTRD STATES i :PATENT Ormes.

HENRYsrARQU-HAR, oF

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

MACHINE FOR REM'OVING DIRT FROM STREETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 659,440, dated October9, 1900.

Application fnd my 11, 1900.

Serial No. 23.257.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY S. FARQUHAR, a citizen of the United States,residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Machines for Removing Dirt from Streets;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as Will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful machines for removing thedirt from the surface of streets or to that class of machines commonlydesignated as .street-sweepers.

My invention has for its object to provide an apparatus which Wilieffectively clean the p surface of streets without the employment ofmoving mechanism other than the supporting or carrying wheels of theapparatus and which will at the same time deliver the dirt into asuitable receptacle or receptacles, all without the necessity ofprevious sprinkling and without in any manner distributing particles ofdirt into the surrounding atmosphere.

With these ends in view my invention consists of a vehicle mounted uponsuitable carrying-Wheels and provided With a closed dirtreceptacle andalso with a steam-generating boiler and means for projecting thegenerated steam against the surface of the street in such manner as toloosen and pick up said dirt and deliver it to the dirt-receptacle, allas will hereinafter and more in detail be described.

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertainsmay know how to make and use my improved apparatus, Iwill proceed todescribe the same, referring by letters to the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a side elevation of one of my improved machines. Fig.2 is a similar view with the dirt-receptacles and dirt-liftingvmechanism shownin vertical section. Fig. 3 is a plan view, partly inhorizontal section. Fig. 4 is a plan view-of the perforated pipeframe,through which the steam is projected upon the street and upwardly alsointo the conduit leading to the dirt-receptacle. Fig. 5 is a verticalcross-section of the pipe-frame shown at Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 4 and illustrating a modication of the (No model.)

pipe-frame. Fig. Z is a cross-section of the pipe-frame shown at Fig. 6.Fig. 8 is a detail plan view of another modification ofthe means forpicking up and delivering the dirt, and Fig. 9 is a cross-section ofFig. S.

Si milar letters of reference denote like parts in the several figuresof the drawings.

Ais a platform or body mounted upon carrying-wheels B. The platform isconstructed, preferably, of steel beams or of any other suitably strongmaterial.

C is a dust or'dirt compartment with closed top and sides and wi th asuitable door or manhole Din the rear. This receptacle is designed toreceive the dirt removed from the street, and, if thought desirable, itmay contain any suitable number of removable receptacles E, which whenfilled may be removed and placed near the sidewalk and emptied into ortra-nsported by ordinary carts, or when such receptacles are notemployed the dirt may be deposited in the compartment C and carried bythe machine to the dump.

F is a steam-generator mounted and suitably connected to the body A, andleading from said generator is a steam-pipe G, provided with a valve H.This steam;pipe communicates With a pipe-f rame I, preferably of -theform shown at Figs. 4 and 5, which is of rectangular form and'is securedin any suitable manner to the under side of the body A and so that itwill hang comparatively close to the surface to be cleaned, as clearlyillustrated at Figs. 1 and 2. The parallel side pipesof the frame I areperforated obliquely, as shown at Figs. 4 and 5, by aseries of holes Jof about one-sixteenth of an inch area and about one-fourth of an inchapart, so that the steam admitted to the frame I from the generator Willpass through the downwardly-inclined series of holes J, striking thesurface at an angle, as clearly illustrated, and being deected will riseupon a corresponding angle Within a hood K, extending from the pipeframeI to a flat conduit L, extending up the compartment C and curvedrearwardly, as

`clearly shown at Figs. 2 and 3,While the steam In lieu of theupwardly-obliqued series of holes J in the frame I an independent andcenwally-arranged tube M, as shown at Figs. 6 and 7, may he employed,which tube is provided with a series of holes or orifices to permit theupwardly vertical escape of steam, or in iieu of either of the formsshown at Figs. 4 and 5 and 6 and 7asingle steam-tube I may be used inconnection with an oblique or curved apron K', extending rearwardly fromthe lower extremity of the conduit L; but I prefer the forms shown atFigs. 4 and 5, although in this case I may, if thought desirable, omitthe upwardly-inclined series of holes.

While I have shown the body simply mounted upon carrying-wheels, it willbe understood that I contemplate making the rear wheels drivingwheelsand to propel them through suitable mechanism connected with thesteam-generator and to provide the forward wheels with any suitablesteering mechanism; butas this forms no part of my invention I haveomitted all illustration thereof to avoid confusion of lines in thedrawings.

From the construction shown and described it will be seen that as thesteam under pressure is emitted from the lower series of oblique oriicesor holes J it contacts with the surface of the street and necessarilyloosens the dirt deposit thereon, driving it. toward the center of thepipe-frame I and into the sphere of the upwardly-deflected columns ofsteam, which latter, either alone or aided by the central verticalcolumn of steam from the pipe M, carries or transports the dirt throughthe conduit L to the compartment C, where it is deposited by gravity.The moistureimparted to the dirt by the steam increases the gravity ofthe former, and thus insures the proper deposit of the same.

The upper front end of the compartment C opens intona fiat verticalconduit N, the lower end of which terminates in front of and immediatelyadjacent to the pipe-frame I, so that the steam used to pick up the dirtis exhausted within the influence of the live steam and is carried up byit. and prevented from escaping to the surrounding atmosphere. It willbe observed, and I desire to lay particular stress upon the fact, thatin loosening and picking up the dirt with my improved apparatus nomoving parts are involved in the action had upon the dirt, andconsequently there is no friction to overcome and no consequent wear.

It will be seen that I am enabled to loosen and remove the dirt fromdepressions and interstices in the street as readily as from the levelsurface and that it does not become necessary to sprinkle the surface ofthe street in advance of the cleaning operation, all of which is ofgreat importance. It will also be understood that when the pipe-frame Iis provided either with the upwardly-oblique holes or with the auxiliarytube M, having the upward vertical holes, the steam projected from theholes referred to will in'either case produce an upward inspiration, andunder such circumstances the downwardly-oblique holes or orifices may besubstituted by vertical orifices, because Vunder the Iinspirationproduced by the upwardly-trending holes or orifices the steam projectedagainst the street-surface will be drawn within the inuence of theinduced upward' current.

My improved apparatus may be varied in many details of constructionwithout departing from the spirit of my invention, which rests in thegeneric idea of utilizing steam under pressure as a force for looseningthe dirt and as a vehicle for transporting it to a suitable receptacle.

That I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A street-cleaning machine consisting of a platform or body mountedupon suitable carrying-wheels and provided with a steamgeuerator and adirt-compartment, a steampipe leading from the generator to a pipeframearranged below the body and provided with steam-orifices, a hoodarranged over the pipe-frame and a conduit from the hood to the interiorof the dirt-compartment substantially as and for the purpose set fort-h.

2. A street-cleaning machine consisting of a platform or body mountedupon suitable cai rying-wheels and provided with a steamgenerator and adirt-compartment, a steampipe leading from the generator to a pipeframelocated below the platform or bodyand provided with steam-exit orices, ahood arranged above the7pipe-frame, a conduit leading from the' hood tothe interior of the dirtcompartment and a steam-exhaust conduit leadingfrom the dirt-compartment. and terminating at a point adjacent to thepipeframe, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a street-cleaning device of the type described, the pipe-frame Iprovided with downwardly and upwardly inclined steamexits, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

et. In a street-cleaning machine, a platform supported uponcarryingwheels and provided with a steam-generator, and adirt-cornpartment, a perforated tube-frame below the platform, asteam-controlled conduit between the generator and the pipe-frame, and adirtconduit with one end adjacent to the pipeframe and the other openinginto the dirtcompartment, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

In testimony whereof I afX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY S. FARQUHAR.

Witnesses:

CHARLES A. CooK, FRANK A. KNoWLEs.

IIO

